Chaminade University of Honolulu

Institutional

Chaminade University Names Dr. Gail Grabowsky as Dean of School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Gail Grabowsky

Chaminade University has named Dr. Gail Grabowsky as Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. With more than 20 years of experience at Chaminade, she most recently served as the interim dean of the School.

“Dr. Grabowsky’s proven leadership in research, teaching and service makes her an excellent choice to permanently lead the school,” said Dr. Lynn Babington, President of Chaminade University. “She also brings extensive institutional knowledge and a record of working collaboratively to achieve strategic initiatives focused on student success.”

In addition to her role as dean, Dr. Grabowsky is the director and professor of Environmental Science and Environmental Studies at the University. She began working at Chaminade in 1997 after studying population genetics at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory and receiving her PhD in Zoology from Duke University.

An accomplished writer and environmentalist, Dr. Grabowsky has published an award-winning book: ’50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save Hawai‘i’ and appeared as a “science character” in National Geographic/Sea Studios’ series: The Shape of Life. She has also published numerous research papers.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Grabowsky has served on a number of environmental councils and committees. From 2001 to 2020, she was an advisory council member and chair of the education working group for Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument. She was also appointed by Governors Cayetano and Lingle to serve on the State’s Environmental Council for eight years.

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu believes in the power of education to drive positive change, broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. With an emphasis on transformative service-learning experiences, we prepare students to serve as tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring and challenging them to use their minds and their hearts to help build stronger and more just communities. We are proud to serve as Hawai‘i’s only Marianist university, and rely on these values to guide us in delivering a high-quality education with an individualized approach and a focus on excellence, innovation and change. Established in 1955, we offer more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees in education, psychology and nursing practice. Learn more at chaminade.edu.

Chaminade University and Hawaii Catholic Schools Announce 2021 Ka Ho’oulu Innovation Recipients

Chaminade University’s Center for Strategy and Innovation, in partnership with Hawai‘i Catholic Schools, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Ka Hoʻoulu Innovation Awards: St. Louis School’s Principal Devin Oshiro, EdD, and St. Joseph Parish School. The awards recognize the demonstration of substantial innovation that has greatly advanced Catholic education in Hawai‘i.

Devin Oshiro, EdD, recipient of the 2021 Ka Ho'oulu Award
Individual Award – Dr. Devin Oshiro, principal of St. Louis School

Dr. Oshiro has led and worked collaboratively with St. Louis School’s faculty to create a diverse learning environment that addresses the needs of all students. Their six-point system, which consists of ‘aina-based learning, global learning, personalized learning, whole group learning and learning specific to young men, has resulted in stronger GPA levels, improved standardized test scores and the school’s highest enrollment in 20 years.

Institution Award – St. Joseph Parish School
Located in Waipahu, St. Joseph Parish School has integrated a community-wide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum to address a much-needed facet for all learners. The school partnered with the Institute of Social and Emotional Learning and formed an internal SEL Committee to develop and implement the curriculum through workshops for administration, faculty and staff to develop a common language and basic understanding of the process, and reinforce the belief that SEL is essential to student achievement.

The Ka Hoʻoulu Innovation Awards were created in 2020, as a way to recognize outstanding educators from Catholic schools throughout the state. Award applicants submit projects that exemplify the Catholic world view, support quality academics, integrate technology, demonstrate data-driven decision making or promote operational vitality. Those who submit projects with the highest marks receive recognition at an annual award ceremony and a grant to continue their work.

“We are so delighted to sponsor this award,” said Dr. Helen Turner, vice president of Chaminade’s Center for Strategy and Innovation. “The winners represent Catholic education in Hawai‘i, where teachers and administrators are continuously innovating in support of their students and their shared mission to provide high quality, affordable education. Students who are benefitting from the creativity of educators like Dr. Oshiro and teams like that of St. Joseph Parish School are part of a talent pipeline in Hawai‘i that is grounded in values and strong academics. We at Chaminade look forward to seeing them as future Silverswords!”

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu believes in the power of education to drive positive change, broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. With an emphasis on transformative service-learning experiences, we prepare students to serve as tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring and challenging them to use their minds and their hearts to help build stronger and more just communities. We are proud to serve as Hawai‘i’s only Marianist university, and rely on these values to guide us in delivering a high-quality education with an individualized approach and a focus on excellence, innovation and change. Established in 1955, we offer more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees in education, psychology and nursing practice. Learn more at chaminade.edu.

Kicking Off Fall Term 2021

New students walking through the faculty tunnel at New Student Orienation

“Really, really excited!”

That’s how freshman Kinnidi Brooks described how she was feeling as she moved into Chaminade residence halls, participated in New Student Orientation activities and prepared for the first day of the Fall term which kicked off on August 23. The Environmental Sciences major said she was particularly looking forward to jumping into her studies and beginning to build her knowledge with hands-on learning.

“I’m also really looking forward to being on my own,” added Brooks, laughing.

She then turned to her mom Keya Smith, standing beside her, and said: “I love you!”

Chaminade’s new academic year kickoff included various activities for new and returning students alike. Among the Welcome Back Week festivities: an outdoor barbecue, a bubble tea tasting and an opportunities fair that offered information about student clubs and organizations, academics and a host of great resources and development programs available to students.

The first week of school rounded out with the Fall Spiritual Convocation.

And on the evening of August 27, students gathered to watch a movie—“Freaky Friday”. Food was provided at the fun “Movie on the Lawn” event.

Earlier in the week, Chaminade President Lynn Babington, PhD, welcomed New Student Orientation participants, offering advice for the year ahead and encouraging them to seek out support when they need it. Her message to students: you are now a valued part of the Chaminade ‘ohana.

“You will form bonds here that will help to guide you and shape you wherever your path in life takes you,” Babington told students, adding Chaminade is proud to offer a holistic and service-focused academic experience designed to inspire students to use what they learn to help others.

“Each of you has your own unique gifts and potential.”

Students learning at an outdoor classroom during the first day of Fall Term

Provost Lance Askildson, PhD, also spoke as part of New Student Orientation events, telling students Chaminade not only seeks to educate the mind but the whole person. “We aspire to transform you and your peers into leaders and changemakers,” he said, “who will not only achieve academic and professional success but also draw upon your achievements to give back to society.”

Preparation for the kickoff of the new school year began on August 19, when new and returning students started moving into Chaminade residence halls. Move-in times were staggered to allow for proper social distancing and students were able to bring a guest with them to help them move in.

Loke Yokoyama, a freshman majoring in Business Administration, said the welcome activities and festivities for new and returning students helped her feel at home at Chaminade. “It’s starting to settle in,” Yokoyama said, as she prepared for the first day of school. “I’m just kind of excited.”

Freshman Alex Ramirez, a Religious Studies major, was also grateful for the warm welcome.

“The first day and I feel like I’m at home already,” he said.

He added that he really loves the look and feel of the Chaminade campus and is looking forward to making new friends. Another priority on his list: “getting involved with service-learning opportunities.”

Chaminade’s Advancement Team is on a Mission to Build Relationships

Gary Cordova, vice president of Advancement at Chaminade, says his job—and the work of his five-member team—is all about building strong relationships. With alumni, with members of the broader community and with others who understand and believe in Chaminade’s strong social service mission.

Chaminade's Advancement team photo

“We have immediate needs for the university, but relationship building is in the long view,” Cordova said. “The engagement approaches have to be individualized—it’s not a one size fits all. Philanthropy is so impactful in the lives of our students and we need to ensure we’re conveying that message.”

Cordova took over his current role at the University in July 2020, bringing more than 20 years of experience in public and private universities and independent private schools. And he’s hit the ground running, bringing on team members to stabilize what he calls the three-legged stool of advancement.

Two of those legs are enrollment management and public funding.

The third leg—private philanthropy—required significant short- and long-term strategic planning.

“That’s where we come in,” Cordova said, of his office, adding that one of his top priorities has been beginning the work of building a strong alumni outreach program and conducting relationship-building with community philanthropists who share and understand Chaminade’s mission.

Data science students in classroom

That work has already paid off.

Cordova said the University’s Chaminade Fund, which offers direct aid to students, saw an increase in support during last academic year and beat previous records. The help, he added, was more needed than ever as many students and their families struggled financially because of the COVID pandemic.

Serving with Cordova in the Advancement office are:

  • Jill Higashi, assistant vice president of Advancement
  • Jeanne Lum, ‘05, MBA ‘07, director of alumni relations
  • Kendra Sia, director of the Annual Fund
  • And Joanne Nakano, executive assistant to the vice president

It’s been Lum, working closely with other members of the team, who has sought to build an alumni network from the ground up. Cordova said reconnection and engagement are key to bringing Chaminade graduates—no matter when they got their degrees—back into the fold.

Chaminade alums at the alumni reunion in 2019

Perhaps most importantly, Cordova added, alumni need to be reminded of their warm memories of Chaminade and that whatever they give back to the institution (in treasure or time) is so very valuable.

“Universities with very strong alumni programs have very strong endowments. Because they are engaged and they believe in the engagement,” he said. “We need to reimagine our alumni program to reach a varied alumni community. We need to engage our alumni in the life of the university.”

To help do just that, Lum has created an Alumni Council made up of graduates across the decades.

She has also sought to set up exciting opportunities for alumni to offer networking and career development opportunities to current students, and has begun to bolster outreach and communications with alumni about upcoming events and initiatives at the University.

“We want people to remember why they love Chaminade so much,” she said.

Cordova added that alumni relations don’t begin at graduation. The Advancement team is seeking to build bridges between alumni and current students so that both groups feel like they’re part of the same family—“this culture of connectedness that’s got them bleeding blue and white.”

The same goes for broader philanthropic outreach, Cordova said.

He said his team members have sought to strengthen relationships with those who have already given to the university, offering not only their gratitude but important details about where their donations went and how much of a difference it made in the lives of students and their academic journeys.

“How do we create systems that can intentionally engage with our supporters? That’s an important question for us in our planning and outreach,” Cordova said. “When we are reporting the effectiveness of a gift over time—helping donors understand the power of their contribution—we are creating a stronger relationship and potentially creating a cycle of philanthropy that never ends.”

Alumna Creates Scholarship to Pay It Forward

Caylee Orsinger '11 posing for the camera in her work uniform

Caylee Orsinger ’11 may live and work in Oklahoma, but her heart is still in the Islands. To prove that, you need look no further than the name she gave her medical distributorship company—Aloha Medical—or the slogan she puts on her business cards: “Where aloha meets medicine.”

It’s that passion for Hawai‘i and its people that drove her to think about ways to give back.

And after reaching out to a mentor at Chaminade, Biology Assistant Professor Dr. Jolene Cogbill, she made up her mind: she decided to establish a scholarship at Chaminade to help STEM-focused students achieve their dreams. The Caylee Orsinger Scholarship will help support 10 STEM students in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. The funding is available to rising juniors or to incoming transfer students.

It’s not every day someone celebrating the 10-year reunion of her college graduation sets up a scholarship fund. But Orsinger said her upbringing in Hawai‘i and her time at Chaminade solidified her resolve to pay it forward. “It’s a full circle. We get out what we put in,” she said.

“I always wanted to donate to science technology and invest in other people.”

Just like people invested in her.

Caylee Orsinger '11 scrapbook page of her graduation from Chaminade

Orsinger said the scholarships she was awarded at Chaminade made a significant difference, and sometimes all the difference, in helping her accomplish her goals. “I worked my way through college and tried to make my way through school,” she said. “Scholarships were huge. They helped me a lot.”

Orsinger grew up on Maui and graduated from King Kekaulike High School in Pukalani.

She knew she wanted to pursue the sciences, but didn’t see herself flourishing in lecture halls with hundreds of students. That’s when she learned about Chaminade and jumped at the chance to pursue a degree in Biology at a campus with smaller class sizes and a strong public service mission.

And once enrolled, she learned about the University’s leading Forensic Sciences program.

She ended up double majoring, with an eye toward eventually becoming a doctor.

After graduation, she moved to Oklahoma to begin preparing to apply for medical school. But while there, her life took another path. She was bartending when she ran into someone who owned a medical distributorship company. She ended up getting a job there to gain valuable experience.

“I fell in love with it,” she said.

Orsinger’s work takes her into operating rooms, where she ensures surgeons and other healthcare professionals have the tools and equipment they need for complicated procedures. She is also proud to serve the community of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of two Cherokee tribes.

And she’s excited about continuing to grow her company.

She said she’s hopeful her trajectory since graduation—from her small Maui upbringing to a rising entrepreneur—offers inspiration to Chaminade students just beginning on their path to a profession.

She has some advice for them, too: remember all the support and encouragement you got as you sought to accomplish your goals so you can do the same for someone else one day. Facing a group of young people seeking degrees in STEM, she would tell them to “never get discouraged.” She would also leave them with some food for thought: “how are you going to give back later?”

Chaminade University Announces New Board of Regents Members

Chaminade University’s Board of Regents serves to create and authorize school plans and policies and to ensure that they articulate the vision and mission of the university system. It has named five new members to its Board of Regents. They are:

Violeta A. Arnobit, CEO, Ace Medical, Inc.

Violeta is currently co owner of Ace Medical Inc. together with her husband Terry. She serves currently as Board of Governors at the Filipino Community Center, Advisory Nursing Board for Chaminade University, Advisory Board for the Primary Care Providers and Alliance of Professional Primary Care Administrators. She was a founding Board member of Pali Momi Foundation, past Board of Directors at Pali Momi Medical Center, Filipino Community Center, awarded Filipino Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 and Entrepreneur of the Year 1999 with Ernst and Young, and Nursing Excellence Award with the Filipino Nurses Organization of Hawaii.

Melialani “Meli” P. James, Co-Founder, Mana Up

Meli James is a cofounder at Mana Up, an initiative to expand economic opportunity, business infrastructure, and higher wage jobs in Hawai’i. Its six-month accelerator program enables Hawaiʻi product entrepreneurs to scale their businesses globally. Mana Up operates a retail business, House of Mana Up, to connect people to local brands. Additionally, she is president of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, an organization that seeks to foster entrepreneurship through education, networking, and access to capital. Previously, James brought her Silicon Valley startup experience to Hawaii accelerators Blue Startups and the University of Hawaii’s Venture Accelerator. James founded her first company, Nirvino, a #1 ranked wine app, an Apple Platform Top 100 App, and Top Ten Lifestyles App in 2007. In 2016, she was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of five Women to Watch. In 2017, she was recognized again by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of eight Women Leaders Who Are Disrupting Entrepreneurship. James is a graduate of The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Estelle Kelley, JD, PhD, Community Volunteer

Estelle M. Kelley was an attorney and an adjunct professor of law at Hawaii Pacific University, Clark College, and Washington State University-Vancouver (1994-1996). Born and raised in Hawaii, she graduated from Punahou School, and earned her BA from Pacific Lutheran University, her JD-MBA from Santa Clara University, a MA in Humanities and her MA/PhD in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Estelle served on a number of Boards including St. Andrew Nativity School, Oregon Episcopal School, Pacific Lutheran University, Outrigger Enterprises, and the American Needlepoint Guild. She continues to volunteer for the Kelley Fund for the Oregon Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for SW Washington, and the Hawaii Community Foundation, and now Chaminade University.

Lydia Park Luis, President, NY Brands and International Caleres, Inc.

Lydia Park Luis is the president of Caleres Inc., Brand Portfolio-New York Group and leads the company’s international business. Luis has over 25 years experience in the fashion industry. She was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Jack Rogers where she oversaw rebranding and reorganization of the 60-year-old footwear brand. Prior to Jack Rogers, she was Chief Commercial Officer of Rag & Bone and held several leadership positions at Tory Burch, where she led U.S. wholesale, international expansion, and licensing. She has also worked at Coach, Swarovski and Bertelsmann. Ms. Luis holds a BA with honors and a MS from New York University. She was born in Seoul, S. Korea and grew up in Hawaii where she graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute.

Alison “Bo” Tanaka, Vice President, Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants, Ltd.

Alison “Bo” Tanaka is the Vice President of Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants, Ltd. Prior to becoming Vice President, she held positions of increasing importance from server to Manager of the Waikiki restaurant to Assistant General Manager for the corporation to Corporate General Manager. Bo has been working at Tanaka of Tokyo for the past 10 years. She was born and raised in Honolulu and attended Hanahau’oli and Punahou Schools, and received her BA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Bo graduated with her MBA from Chaminade University in 2015, where she was the Valedictory Speaker. She is on the Hogan Advisory Board, and also received her Hogan Entrepreneurial Certificate at Chaminade. Bo is a member of Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, a member of the National Association of Professional Women, a member of the Young Presidents Organization NG, a volunteer spokesperson, a member of the Board for the Hawaii Restaurant Association, and committee member for the Domestic Violence Action Center, and a former Miss Hawaii United States (2012).

# # #

Chaminade University of Honolulu believes in the power of education to drive positive change, broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. With an emphasis on transformative service-learning experiences, we prepare students to serve as tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring and challenging them to use their minds and their hearts to help build stronger and more just communities. We are proud to serve as Hawai‘i’s only Marianist university, and rely on these values to guide us in delivering a high-quality education with an individualized approach and a focus on excellence, innovation and change. Established in 1955, we offer more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees in education, psychology and nursing practice. Learn more at chaminade.edu.